Technology for future mobility: Red Dot awards BASF’s temperature management system for automotive coatings

• Passive temperature management wins over the jury of the “Red Dot Award: Product Design” in the category “materials and surfaces”
• Innovative coating technology combines aesthetics and functionality

BASF’s Coatings division was awarded the Red Dot in the “materials and surfaces” category for its functional coating technology for passive temperature management. The accolade was presented during the Designers’ Night at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, on July 9, 2018.

Future mobility makes new demands on design and functionality
The temperature management system from BASF combines aesthetics and functionality. By combining a basecoat which is transparent to high-energy near infrared (NIR) radiation, with an NIR reflecting filler, the paint reduces the vehicle surface temperature by up to 20° C on hot summer days. Furthermore, the temperature inside the vehicle also does not heat up so much which means the air conditioning system is used less to control the temperature in the car. This has a positive effect on the energy consumption – especially in the field of electromobility. The paint system not only provides protection and creates a high-level finish for vehicles, it also ensures additional comfort and greater efficiency.

“Modern mobility concepts such as autonomous driving or electromobility create new challenges for our developers and designers. The temperature management system is just one of our projects for future mobility. Furthermore, we are currently working on paint systems with higher reflectivity to increase the recognizability for LiDAR sensors without affecting the aesthetical approach. Within the next years, this will be a crucial topic for autonomous driving,” explains Stephan Schwarte, head of Pigments, Dispersions & Innovative Colors EMEA at BASF’s Coatings division.

Material expert Dr. Sascha Peters, who has also been part of this year’s Red Dot jury, highlights the sustainable approach of the temperature management technology: “The paint system is an outstanding example for the development towards sustainable mobility. It helps us to reduce the use of resources in a smart way. When changing to electric mobility in the future, we will hopefully see further solutions like this.”

At the annual “Red Dot Award: Product Design”, a jury of about 40 members evaluates all submissions by using criteria such as degree of innovation, functionality or sustainability. In 2018, designers and manufacturers from 59 nations registered more than 6,300 objects for the competition.

About BASF’s Coatings division
The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. The portfolio is completed by the “Innovation Beyond Paint” program which aims at developing new markets and businesses. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2017, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €3.97 billion.

Solutions beyond your imagination – Coatings by BASF. For more information about the Coatings division of BASF and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of €64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

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